MVP Hart, Second Team Svi Earn Summer League Honors

Josh Hart picked up some hardware before Monday’s Las Vegas championship game, as the second-year wing was named 2018 Summer League MVP.

Hart has been an offense unto himself through six games in Vegas, averaging a summer-league-leading 24.2 points along with the event’s second-most 3-pointers (3.5).

The 23-year-old has spent the bulk of the offseason working on his ball handling and jump shooting, as improvement in both areas has been easy to see.

With a tighter dribble, Hart has consistently sliced up opposing defenses, shooting 50.8 percent on two-pointers. And he has also been able to handle his way into looks from deep, hitting 39.6 percent from 3-point range.

The definition of a two-way player, Hart has provided the Lakers more than just scoring. He is averaging 4.4 points, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and only 1.5 turnovers, while constantly serving as the Lakers’ primary defender on the opponent’s best wing player.

The sophomore was only able to play two games at last year’s summer league before an injury shut him down, but the Las Vegas fans aren’t soon to forget his performances this time.

Hart has scored at least 18 points in all six of his games, including a 37-point eruption in the semifinals — which broke the Lakers’ single-game summer scoring record — and a 27-point scorcher against New York.